The Dabbling Mum

Alyice Edrich is the editor of The Dabbling Mum magazine and was kind enough to stop by for a visit.

Hello Alyice! Welcome!

What is the most valuable piece of advice you have been given/learned in your life as a writer?

Never stop learning. It’s important to not allow pride to stand in the way of corrections or critiques. We must listen, take a step back, and see things with an open mind. Sometimes change can actually make the piece stronger. Other times, the change isn’t really necessary and you can leave it alone.

What do you wish you had known when you first started out as a writer for publication?

That it was a hard road, especially financially. You send in a query letter to request permission to write on a specific topic, then you must wait weeks—sometimes months—for an acceptance or a rejection. Once you get the acceptance and write the piece, you may not see publication or payment for another 6 months to 2 years.

Has it been a bumpy ride to becoming a published author or has it been pretty well smooth sailing?

When it came to self-publishing it was a fairly smooth ride. I did a lot of research, a lot of interviewing, a lot of learning before I ventured out onto my own. Then as I learned new things along the way I implemented them. It’s been a fairy tale ride—even if it can be difficult at times.

When it comes to print publications, definitely a bumpy ride. There’s lots of competition out there and sometimes it’s a matter of who you know or if you can beat the next guy to the punch. It’s unbelievably surreal how many of the same ideas are floating around out there.

Suzanne Woods Fisher writes bestselling, award winning fiction and non-fiction books about the Old Order Amish for Revell Books. Her interest in the Plain People began with her Old Order German Baptist grandfather, raised in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne's app, Amish Wisdom, delivers a daily Amish proverb to your phone or iPad. She writes a bi-monthly column for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazine. She lives with her family in California and raises puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. To Suzanne's way of thinking, you can't take life too seriously when a puppy is running through your house with someone's underwear in its mouth.

Author Spotlight

Keep Up To Date

“The Heart of the Amish: Life Lessons on Peacemaking and the Power of Forgiveness” (Revell) May 2015

“The Imposter,” Book One in a new Amish fiction series, ‘The Bishop’s Family’ (Revell), October 2015

A three-book historical fiction series about the early Quakers of Nantucket, called ‘Petticoat Row.’ (Revell) 2017 and 2018

Join Me on Facebook

Nominations and Awards!

Honored and humbled at winning the 2012 Carol Award for Best Long Contemporary Novel (The Search)) and being a finalist in 2011 for a Christy Award (The Waiting) and in 2010 for a Carol Award (The Choice)!